The environment–economic growth trade-off: does support for environmental protection depend on its economic consequences?

2025/01/22 by Andrew McNeil, Lucy Barnes · 1 voice
Economics, Econometrics and Finance · Energy · #Energy, Environment, Economic Growth #Climate Change Policy and Economics #Energy, Environment, and Transportation Policies

paper · doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2025.108522

Abstract

Belief in a trade-off between economic growth and environmental protection is an important feature of the politics of environmental policy. Yet the prevalence and consequences – for policy positions – of this belief are only indirectly examined in dominant treatments of public attitudes. We investigate belief in the existence of the trade-off directly. Those who believe more strongly in the trade-off express more moderate policy views. However, increasing belief in the existence of the trade-off via experimental manipulation yields null effects on policy positions. Appealing to the trade-off to justify prioritising growth may not provide a logical defense in the eyes of the public.

Discussions

• The prospect of having to give up economic growth had only a minor effect for public support of environmental goals, study finds. [lemmy, 38 points, 3 comments]

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